BUSINESS
Italy funds package
to save Alenia jobs
BY ANDREA SPINELL1
IN GENOA T
he Italian Government has
approved a LI,600 billion
($1 billion) emergency fi
nancial package to stem the
mass job cuts being proposed
by state-owned aerospace
group Alenia.
The funding will be used to
finance defence and aerospace
projects, which are being run
at plants threatened with major
job cuts.
The move comes after a se
ries of angry public protests,
including scenes of riot outside
the group's headquarters,
which followed Alenia's an
nouncement of plans to cut
5,134 jobs over the next three
years (Flight International, 20-
27 January).
When lengthy discussions
between the company and em
ployees ended without agree
ment on redundancies, angry
workers started a series of
strikes and public demonstra
tions, including the occupation
of railway stations, motorways
and airports.
The protests culminated
with around 1,500 workers
protesting outside the Italian
group's headquarters in Rome.
Angry scenes of stone-throwing
and clashes with the police
ended with some 20 people
being injured.
The Government intervened,
immediately stopping the cassa
integrazione procedure, by
which workers are paid a re
duced salary for two years after
being fired.
An emergency package of
cash, together with a softening
of export rules and new export
financing, was also approved
by the Rome Government in a
bid to help soften the blow of
job losses.
How the cash will be allo
cated is not yet decided, but
among the projects under dis
cussion are the Advanced Am
phibious Aircraft, radar and
missile systems for the new
European Horizon frigates, a
further batch of Boeing 707
tanker/transports and updating/
new orders for the Alenia
G.222 tactical transport.
Observers in Italy believe
that the state intervention is
only likely to postpone the
need for cuts as the US and
European aerospace sectors
continues to go through a se
ries of rationalisation moves. •
NEWS IN BRIEF
AEROSPATIALE LOSS
Aerospatiale is forecasting a
1992 loss of between Frl.5
billion ($270 million) and Fr2
billion. President Lous Gallois
says that, after a first half
deficit of less than Fr500 mil
lion, losses mushroomed in the
second half. The latest forecast
confirms the picture of another
grim year for the French indus
try (Flight International, 10-16
March PI4).
GATWICK HANDLING
British Airways has sold the
50% stake in Gatwick Handling
which it inherited from the
1992 Dan-Air take-over. US
carriers Delta and Northwest
Airlines, which each already
own 25% of the handling oper
ator, have purchased the BA
share. The company controls
around half of handling at Lon
don Gatwick Airport's south
terminal and 25% at the north.
***"
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FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 24 - 30 March, 1993 21